%% See the Image Pickin' thread for alternative page-image ideas.[[quoteright:300:[[VideoGame/FinalFantasyX http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ffx_random_encounter_7451.jpg]]]][[caption-width-right:300:[[WeInterruptThisProgram We interrupt this adventure]] to bring you this important RandomEncounter!]]

Graphic effect where you hit a [[RandomEncounters Random Encounter]] and the screen flashes, breaks, or [[IdiosyncraticWipe does another psychedelic transition]] before revealing a generic backdrop (usually themed according to the environment) upon which the actual fighting takes place. At the same time, the area's background music abruptly stops while the BattleThemeMusic kicks in.

While most games use a single transition sequence when fading from scenery to combat, some games may provide variations depending on context. Sometimes the Fight Woosh occurs [[BGMOverride without interrupting the background music]]; sometimes the game may provide a different transition before a BossBattle, or the transition itself may hint that one side (either player or enemy) is going to get an advantage (such as a preemptive strike) at the start of battle.

----!!Video Game Examples

[[AC:Action-Adventure Games]]* The original ''VideoGame/BlasterMaster''; when entering a boss room, the screen flashed repeatedly and an alarm sounded before the room faded to a black background where the player fought the boss.** ''VideoGame/BlasterMaster: Blasting Again'''s usual loading screens showed either Roddy or [=SOPHIA=] travelling through a void towards the next room. However, when encountering a BossBattle, the loading screen was instead the word "Warning" flashing with an alert siren in the background.* In ''VideoGame/HarryPotter and the Chamber of Secrets'', every time you touch a [[ItMakesSenseInContext big blue cloud of smoke]], the screen would vanish, the music would change to the predetermined area for fighting, and the image would reappear with Harry (and, depending on the time, Ron and/or Hermione) in front of an enemy. Played with, as the setting was a lot like the place where you were before entering the fight.* ''VideoGame/{{La-Mulana}}'' opens {{Boss Battle}}s with a very understated version of this (probably because the player has to trigger it deliberately): the game falls silent for a few seconds while the Ankh turns into a wisp which flies offscreen, and the boss fades in.* In ''VideoGame/TheGuardianLegend'', a siren sounds when a boss is about to appear, and in the overworld, the screen gets surrounded with blocks to prevent you from running away.* ''VideoGame/{{Valis}} II''(PCEngine CD version): "Warning! A strong warrior, [boss name] is coming here!", accompanied by a klaxon.

[[AC:Adventure Games]]* Occurs in ''VideoGame/{{Quest for Glory III}}'', where overland travel is performed via world map. A random encounter places you immediately on a "normal" savannah or jungle screen, with the opponent approaching rapidly before the melee begins. Most games in the series prefer keeping you moving between normal screens, requiring no transition.

[[AC:Fighting Games]]* A couple of the [[LimitBreak EX Bursts]] in ''VideoGame/DissidiaFinalFantasy'' use the Fight Wooshes of their respective games (like [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyX Tidus]]'.) [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyIX Zidane's]] uses the card dealing animation from Tetra Master.

[[AC:MMORPG]]* ''AtlanticaOnline'' has several transitions from the overworld to the battle screens, including one that is very similar to the one ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyX'' used.* Though ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXI'' averted this, ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIV'' has varying Fight Wooshes before most main and class quest battles.

[[AC:Real-Time Strategy]]* A variant occurs in the Turn-Based-Real-Time-Strategy hybrid ''VideoGame/TotalWar'' series (From ''VideoGame/RomeTotalWar'' onward). When two (or more) enemy armies engage on the Turn-Based campaign map, a top-down FightWoosh zooms down to the block where the fighting takes place; after the loading screen, an exact replica of the block, but with much more details and massively upsized, will be used for the Real-Time battle.

[[AC:Roguelike]]* ''VideoGame/PokemonMysteryDungeonExplorers of Time/Darkness'' has a couple of flashes, scrolling lines, and a fade to white before entering a BossBattle. Normal encounters, on the other hand, take place on the actual field.

[[AC:Role-Playing Games]]* ''VideoGame/ChronoTrigger'' is a famous exception; there was no FightWoosh, with the fights taking place on the same map as everything else. In some areas, such as scripted gauntlet battles, the ''music'' doesn't even change, either maintaining the normal stage theme or the battle theme for the duration of the segment.** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXII'' is also famous for this, as anyone who skipped ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXI'' (the first FF to do away with traditional random encounters) was caught off-guard by it.* ''VideoGame/{{Earthbound}}'' introduced an interesting variation - the actual COLOR of the FightWoosh would change depending on whether one side had the advantage. This carried over to the game's sequel, ''VideoGame/{{Mother 3}}''.** A gray whoosh (or blue, in the case of ''Mother 3'') meant no advantage.** A red whoosh meant your enemies got to strike first.** A green whoosh meant you got a free hit on your enemies. Even better, if you were sufficiently stronger than your enemies, there would be a flash, a "YOU WIN!" message, and free experience.*** Sometimes, if you were particularly powerful, a gray whoosh would result in an automatic win as well.*** Just to clarify the system, you would get a green whoosh if you attacked the enemy's icon on the overworld from behind, and he would get a free hit on you if he attacked YOU from behind. The reason most people are getting the YOU WIN message coinciding with the green whoosh is that when you are strong enough to not have to fight, most enemies try to run from you (thus presenting their backs to the party.) But if you back him into a corner or he moves erratically, he might turn around at the last minute despite having no hope of victory, thus giving you a gray whoosh without a battle.** Also, a spiky blue whoosh was reserved for boss battles.*** Spiky gray in ''VideoGame/{{Earthbound}}''.** ''VideoGame/BreathOfFireIV'' used this as well, with blue for normal, green if you got first hit, and red if the enemies did, although its prequel, ''VideoGame/BreathOfFireIII'', had no FightWoosh and RandomEncounters took place on the field.** ''VideoGame/BarkleyShutUpAndJamGaiden'' has this effect too (and chooses randomly between a bunch of different patterns). Green if you have the advantage, gray if neutral, and red if enemy gets you from behind.* The ''Franchise/TalesSeries'' also has color-coded whooshes of the glass-shatter variety. Blue is a standard battle. Gold-yellow is a boss battle or other unavoidable fight. And as in ''Earthbound'', red is a battle where you've been ambushed, and green is for fights where you have a significant advantage at the start.** In ''VideoGame/TalesOfVesperia'', the "glass" will receive extra cracks in it depending on the number of mobs you pulled before the fight starts.** ''VideoGame/TalesOfPhantasia'', the first one, only had a traditional spinning woosh. The shattering may have only started with the sixth-generation games (like ''[[VideoGame/TalesOfSymphonia Symphonia]]'').** A rather quick one happens in ''{{Tales Of Graces}}'' where, due to the DynamicLoading, there's a very fast flash to the battle field followed by a quick wooshing sound.** ''VideoGame/TalesOfXillia'' has the screen get "slashed" from the top right and left corners of the screen leaving a large "X" gash over the screen. It's ColourCodedForYourConvenience of course. Yellow (normal battle) , blue (caught enemy from behind) red (ambush) and turquoise (caught enemy from behind while they were unaware). * Just about any ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'' game has one: ** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyX'' has two - the regular full-screen transition (The screen "shatters" and the pieces fly offscreen) before random fights, and a slight blurring before boss battles, which are fought on the same background where they were standing in the cutscene. ** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXII'' has the Victory Whoosh instead after boss battles, while your allies discreetly move into position for their {{Victory Pose}}s.** When ported to different consoles, ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIV'', ''[[VideoGame/FinalFantasyV V]]'', and ''[[VideoGame/FinalFantasyVI VI]]'' have used different whooshes.*** However, on the SNES, they used a more generic woosh that was used during that time (and the ''[[Franchise/FinalFantasyCrystalChronicles Final Fantasy: Chronicles]]'' port of FFIV on the Playstation retained this). On the overworld, the character sprite would disappear, and the camera would quickly zoom in on the location that the character got attacked. In a dungeon, it was switched to the screen pixelating quickly before going to black. Both transitions were accompanied by a quick two woosh sound that the zoom and pixelation were in tune to. Was actually a memorable transition, but did provide some with jump scares if they weren't used to it.** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVIII'' also uses a different FightWoosh for boss battles than it does for normal encounters.** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIII'' has a particularly cool fight woosh: The character will lock blades (or fists) with the enemy and the screen fades to black while streams of light that match up to specific elements (lights in the background, weapon glints, the metallic bodies of enemies) streak by.** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIVTheAfterYears'' has the "shattered glass" variation for boss fights and two different ones for normal encounters. * The reason for the jump scares over the ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'' old school woosh? A PS1 game called ''VideoGame/BeyondtheBeyond'' used the zoom in woosh, as well, but the character remained visible, and the zoom never seemed to end (it continued to zoom in and out rapidly until the battle screen was loaded)! This resulted in seeing a rather ugly looking pixalated zoom in of the character at times. The sound was also a suddenly "PEAW!" sound that did decrease in volume, but the second you hear it, you also see a white flash while the screen is zooming in. * ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'' actually has ''hundreds'' of different Fight Wooshes, depending on the type of battle you're going into.** [[RandomEncounter Random Encounters]] use various transitions depending on the area (a wavy or watery effect while surfing, for example). These are coupled with different BattleThemeMusic for each type too.** Battles against other Trainers use different transitions with Poké Balls added.** Starting in Generation III, important battles (such as Gym Leaders or the Elite Four) also throw in a VersusCharacterSplash.** In Generation IV, Legendary Pokémon ([[MyFriendsAndZoidberg and Rotom]]) now have a new transition where the screen pulls back, before zooming in while shaking.*** But Cresselia gets the regular one, meaning it turns up without the forewarning of the Woosh. Not fun if you encounter it when it's weak and, say, KO it by mistake.** ''VideoGame/PokemonBlackAndWhite'' have different Fight Wooshes for the different legendaries: Reshiram and Zekrom just have the screen pause and fade to black, Kyurem has some energy balls swirl into the center, the Raijin trio has a beam shoot across the screen and an energy swirl expands from the center, and the Musketeer trio have a sword that slashes across the screen a few times before it "shatters" and falls away to reveal the battle screen a la ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyX''.* All the ''VideoGame/{{Persona}}'' games, as well as most other ''Franchise/ShinMegamiTensei'' games. ''VideoGame/{{Persona 3}}'' and ''VideoGame/{{Persona 4}}'' employ an "advantage" system similar to ''Earthbound'' mentioned above, where if you attack the enemy's model on the dungeon map from behind you get a blue flash (after the FightWoosh) with the words "Player Advantage" and a bonus round, while if the enemy gets you from behind there's a red flash and "Enemy Advantage." There's no flash after the transition in the case of neither side having an advantage.* ''VideoGame/SaGaFrontier'' does this as well.* The single most popular FightWoosh is making the screen break like glass to reveal the battle scene. It's shown up in ''VideoGame/{{Xenogears}}'' and ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyX'', among others.** ''VideoGame/{{Golden Sun}}'' uses this in the fight against the final boss.** ''VideoGame/{{Xenosaga}} 2'' uses this brilliantly: after beating the BigBad, you're greeted with the usual post-battle results screen, without him changing forms or powering up...[[spoiler:except the characters listed in it aren't likely match and everyone is lv 99...at which point the results screen shatters with the usual battle transition effect and the second part of the fight begins.]]** ''VideoGame/ShadowHearts'' (''Covenant'' and ''From the New World'') does that. The original game does a swirly-thing fight whoosh.** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyCrystalChronicles'' uses this sort of woosh for boss battles. Being an action RPG, it doesn't have or need wooshes for random battles.** ''[[VideoGame/MarioAndLuigiBowsersInsideStory Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story]]'' uses this kind of woosh for its final boss.** In ''VideoGame/{{Xenogears}}'', you can usually hear the PlayStation's laser move just before the actual FightWoosh begins.** In ''VideoGame/PokemonBlackAndWhite'', this happens when you face off against the Musketeer trio. After three slashes appear across the screen, no less.* ''VideoGame/SkiesOfArcadia'', pretty well-known for excessive random encounters, has a whoosh sound when you're about to fight coupled with a random special effect, including the screen breaking into pieces or spinning around. Also, on the Dreamcast version, you could hear it load before a fight would take place, at which point you could open the menu, change a weapon and it would prevent the fight... for a while. The Fight Woosh was shortened in the GameCube remake along with battle loading times, and a reduction in random battles was thrown in for good measure.* ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfDragoon'' had a reeeeeally looooong FightWoosh, but it wasn't so bad, because random encounters were less frequent than in, say, ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'' games. You probably know how close you are to a fight by the marker over Dart's head. If it's red when you first enter an area, then you have to collide with enemies on screen to fight. This is always so in places like [[spoiler:Hellena Prision or The Black Castle]]* ''RaidouKuzunohaVsTheSoullessArmy'' has a very quick fight whoosh, and usually shows the enemy and your familiar teleport into the battle field.* ''VideoGame/ParasiteEve'' changes the colors of the scenery to various shades of gray and an echoing heartbeat plays when you find enemies. In the sequel, only one heartbeat is heard and the color change is instant.* [[JustifiedTrope Justified]] in ''VideoGame/TheWorldEndsWithYou'', as [[spoiler:the battles actually take place in an alternate dimension. [[MindScrew Or something like that.]]]]* ''VideoGame/{{Wild ARMs 4}}'' and ''[[VideoGame/WildARMs5 5]]'', which take place on a hex "playing field", have the screen break into mini-hexes which then flip themselves around to form the battlefield. There are several different animations depending on what sort of battle it is (normal, surprise attack, boss, special boss).* Inverted in ''KingdomHearts''. Like ''VideoGame/ChronoTrigger'', almost every fight takes place in the same area where you first ran into the enemy. There is, however, a fight woosh at the ''end'' of most event battles, especially boss fights, often followed by a cutscene.** Played straight in ''{{Chain of Memories}}'' and ''Re:Chain of Memories'', as the special fight zones are needed for cards to only be used then and there.* ''VideoGame/SuikodenV'' has a rather annoying fight woosh designed to mask the load times: The sun beams down on the screen while the transition to the battlefield occurs. It's much more interesting (and bearable) if you are playing the game off a hard drive.* In ''VideoGame/TheLastRemnant'', there is a pretty energy-like Fight Woosh when you collide with a hostile. Unlike most {{RPG}}s, in this game, you have a button dedicated to starting a battle (complete with awesome pose), and when you enter a battle this way the playing field is even, and the Fight Woosh is a nice blue-white colour. If you allow the enemy to charge at you, your character cowers slightly and the Fight Woosh becomes a red-orange colour, and the enemy gets an advantage. Finally, boss battles begin with the screen dividing into several dozen little cubes that fly toward the screen.* The ''VideoGame/MarioAndLuigi RPG'' series transitions to the battles with a polygonal star. It also accompanies them with quips:--> '''Mario:''' "Let's-a go!"--> '''Luigi:''' "Okey-dokey!" ** The quips changed if Mario or Luigi got hit from behind or jumped on a spiked enemy:-->Mario or Luigi: Oh no!** And if Luigi was by himself:-->Mama mia...-->Luigi!** In the third game:--> '''Bowser:''' "Showtime!"** The fourth game lost the quips, but now there's five pictures used for the transaction: the star for when neither side has the upper hand, a hammer or a shoe for when Mario and Luigi hits an enemy in the overworld using a hammer or a jump, respectively, an exclamation mark for when the enemy manages to get the upper hand, and a picture of an angry starburst for boss fights.*** And for the last boss fight, there's a sixth; [[spoiler:the iconic silhouette of Bowser's face.]]* Averted in ''VideoGame/RogueGalaxy'', where the beginning of battle is simply a flashing warning message, and the battle occurs on the field map in realtime. Boss battles tend to be a bit whooshy sometimes, however.* ''VideoGame/PaperMarioTheThousandYearDoor'' had a stage curtain drop when a battle started, then raise to reveal the battle on a literal stage. The background elements were themed on the location where the battle was started, and in ''The Thousand-Year Door'', these elements could randomly fall over, hurting Mario and his partner, the enemies, everyone on stage, or nobody, depending on the prop's size. The FightWoosh was the same for every battle, though it had overlay text if you attacked the enemy on the field ("You got the First Strike!", followed by an extra attack on the enemy when battle started) or if an enemy hit you first ("The enemy struck first!"); the two First Strike messages are complimented by a burst of introduction music. ''Super Paper Mario'' didn't have Fight Wooshes, as all the battles (except one) were platformer-style.* Due to its fully real-time battles, ''Project Franchise/DotHack'' and ''Franchise/DotHack Conglomerate'' games do not feature this. Instead, there's simply a warning sign where battle phase is taking place. In the second series, ''[[VideoGame/DotHackGU GU]]'', while not wooshing, a "wall" encircles the fight area and the characters pull their weapons out. Not the case in the first four games since their weapons are out all the time (and no wall either; running away from enemies is always a valid strategy, except in dungeons).* In ''VideoGame/{{Okage}}: Shadow King'', upon entering battle, the screen will blur and swirl, before fading into a battle sequence.* ''VideoGame/{{Okami}}'' has demon scrolls and gates that, when touched, send Amaterasu to the demonic plane, surrounded by a barrier of kanji and swirling colors. The game does let you escape by finding a weak spot and attacking it, although doing so causes you to take more damage in subsequent battles.* In ''VideoGame/EndlessFrontier'', the music stops abruptly and there's an almost sub-audible "CRASH!" as bits of glass rain down the screen.** That was just for bosses. Normal battles have a Final Fantasy-style zoom-in accompanied by blue motion lines and a "SHOOP!" sound effect.* ''VideoGame/ResonanceOfFate'' transitions from the map to random battles with several gunshot effects making bullet holes appear in the screen. This is more obviously a disguised loading screen than some because the number of shots can be different. Dungeon battles don't do this since you move into a new area to start each fight.* ''The Chosen: Well Of Souls'' transitions from a map to a side view with background (each opponent starts on one side of the screen) in combat.* ''VideoGame/PanzerDragoon Saga'' uses a fairly simplistic FadeToWhite whenever a battle triggers with some teensy possible changes. Normal random encounters cause the flight in progress to freeze in place when the fade occurs; cutscenes which precede a boss fight continue moving as the fade occurs.* In ''VideoGame/LegacyOfTheWizard'' for the NES, the screen starts scrolling wildly when entering or exiting a BossBattle.* ''VideoGame/TheLordOfTheRingsTheThirdAge'' had level specific fight wooshes where something would obscure the screen accompanied by a [[MostAnnoyingSound monstrous shriek]]. For example, the first area, a forest, would have leaves gather up from the ground and cover the screen. They would then fall away and reveal the battle at hand.* ''VideoGame/MegaManXCommandMission'' did this with screen blurring and a screeching guitar chord.* In the EdutainmentGame ''VideoGame/SlimeForestAdventure'', a closeup of a slime momentarily blocks the screen.* ''VideoGame/MSSagaANewDawn'' has the screen break into squares that fall away. They're color-coded for Random Encounter, Pre-Existing Encounter, or Boss Fight.* ''VideoGame/SailorMoonAnotherStory'' for the SNES has a voice saying "Make Up" (the universal call for a Sailor Soldier to transform), and then for a large crescent moon zoom out as a fade to black effect before entering the battle scene. The make up line is somewhat justified, as sometimes the Sailors are on the field in their civilian form in the game when a battle occurs, so you would think they'd have to transform to be able to fight. Plus, it IS one of the most recognizable phrases in SailorMoon, so it's somewhat of fanservice, too.

[[AC:SimulationGame]]* In the SNES version of ''VideoGame/SimCity'', when a disaster occurs, a siren and ScareChord are heard, and a burning cityscape is shown with Dr. Wright describing the disaster.

[[AC:Turn-Based Strategy]]* ''VideoGame/HeroesOfMightAndMagic V'' uses a FightWoosh similar to ''Total War's'' one: The camera zooms to the battlefield, which (somewhat) resembles the environment.* Combats in ''VideoGame/{{Odium}}'' start by the screen melting away to the sides and a LoadingScreen with a rotating buzzsaw popping up for a while before the battle begins. * In ''VideoGame/FireEmblemAwakening'', each fight starts with a blurry zoom-in woosh before switching from the 2D grid to the 3D fighting characters.

!!Non-Video Game Examples[[AC:{{Film}}]]* ''WebVideo/CollegeSaga'' parodies this, along with many other tropes.

[[AC:{{Literature}}]]* Being that it was a parody of all things Fantasy, including ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'', ''Discworld/TheColourOfMagic'' includes a random encounter, where a troll is whisked from its mountain home to the middle of a plain to attack the heroes, much to their--and its--confusion. The way it's described, it almost perfectly matches most of the effects described above, despite predating nearly all of them.

[[AC:WebComics]]* Mocked in [[http://www.adventurers-comic.com/d/0005.html this]] ''Webcomic/{{Adventurers}}!'' strip.* Also mocked in ''Webcomic/RPGWorld,'' where one character becomes dizzy and disoriented and the other calls it "almost as much fun as the fight!"* Seen in Webcomic/{{Homestuck}} when John is attacked by an imp [[http://www.mspaintadventures.com/?s=6&p=002292 here]].** And again when Squarewave ambushes Dirk in a rap-off [[http://www.mspaintadventures.com/?s=6&p=006440 here]].* Used in the {{Shotgunshuffle}} strip titled [[http://shotgunshuffle.com/comic/fight-woosh/#.U5hpv_ldWSo 'Fight Woosh.']]

[[AC:WebOriginal]]* Similarly parodied in one of the ''WebAnimation/{{Arfenhouse}}'' flash movies, with Joe crying out in disorientation as the woosh happens.* Parodied as well in ''WebVideo/YuGiOhTheAbridgedSeries'', when Yami defeated Kaiba.----